Perennial ground cover of the Lamiaceae family, the variegated ground ivy is a cultivar selected from the type species, native to Europe and temperate Asia, where it grows spontaneously in hedges, light undergrowth, roadsides, and fresh meadows.
This cultivar forms a dense and creeping carpet, very vigorous, whose stoloniferous stems root at the nodes and spread widely on the ground for a modest height of 10 to 15 cm. The leaves are reniform to crenate, of a medium green irregularly edged and marbled with cream white, sometimes over almost the entire blade, giving the whole a very particular silvery and luminous appearance.
The small tubular flowers, of a discreet bluish lilac, appear in spring in whorls at the leaf axils. In its natural habitat, the flowering of the type species extends from April to June; in cultivation, this cultivar blooms similarly but it is above all its variegated foliage that is sought after.
The foliage, slightly aromatic, was once used in brewing to clarify and flavor beer, before the widespread use of hops. It is cultivated in partial shade or light shade, in ordinary fresh soil, and tolerates some trampling. Its vigor can make it invasive; it is suitable for borders, hanging planters, and areas difficult to vegetate.